Tuesday Practice Update 11/13

A personnel update first. Sean Couturier, pictured, made it through a full day of practice as he continues recovering from the flu that sidelined him for last weekend's games at Rochester and Albany. He was on the bus that left for Manchester this afternoon and coach Terry Murray expects the center to be good to go for tomorrow's game, which starts at the ungodly hour of 10 a.m.

Winger Tye McGinn was not on the bus. He's recovering from a muscle spasm that he suffered on a hit Saturday at Albany, Murray said. “He needs another day or so to recover," Murray added. "Hopefully he’ll be ready to go Friday.” Matt Mangene (upper body) also didn't practice, so here are updated lines:

Konan was out there wearing a full cage. He took a puck to the face Monday.

Story in tomorrow's paper about Murray and Schenn facing the Kings organization tomorrow. They both have some ties there. Murray coached in Los Angeles for parts of four seasons and Schenn was a draft pick who came to Philadelphia in the Mike Richards deal last summer. Asked Murray what it would be like coaching against some of his former players for the first time. He said he wasn't particularly sentimental about it, but had some nice things to say about some of his former players.

Center Andrei Loktionov and defenseman Slava Voynov, for example, were both drafted in 2008, Murray's first season in Los Angeles. Murray got to know a bunch of the other current Monarchs as they attended camps with the Kings over the years. Heck, even goalie Jon Quick is there on a rehab assignment, but he won't be able to play in the game.

"You know those kids, they’re good kids," Murray said. "They’ve come a long way. I know them from four years ago when they were starting their pro careers and the process they’ve gone through to become good players. Voynov’s become a good player, playing with the Kings now. You see that development over the years and it does take time. It’s not something that is accelerated by any magical formula. It’s about hard work and going and playing and living through a lot of the valleys and the mistakes and the pain. You come out on the other side as a better player.”

Murray is used to coaching against former players. This is Schenn's first chance to play against the Kings organization that traded him. He only played 12 total games in Manchester, but he attended training camps and prospect camps with a lot of the current Monarchs. Makes for a good reunion.

“I know a lot of their prospects and guys,” he said. “Good guys over there. I was with them for two or three years and know a lot of them. It should be a little weird playing against them.”

Also in tomorrow's paper, comments from Scott Munroe about playing at 10 a.m. He's no stranger to morning games. The Philadelphia Phantoms used to host one annually and he also backed up for a game in Bridgeport in November 2009 that, coincidentally, was against the Adirondack Phantoms.

Adirondack won 4-2. That was the last school day game they played. The Phantoms' goalscorers that morning? Jon Matsumoto, Stefan Legein, Andreas Nodl and Joey Mormina. So it's been a while.